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On Sunday evening during PBS NewsHour Weekend, our News Brief is a glimpse inside last week’s Austin City Limits Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Darrell Royal and Bill Arhos were inducted in a ceremony in KLRU’s Studio 6A, the original home of Austin City Limits.

All have a storied history with the program. Nelson appeared on the pilot in 1974 and Vaughan & Double Trouble performed in 1984 and 1990. Bill Arhos is credited with creating Austin City Limits. Coach Darrell Royal was known for hosting “pickin parties” at his home with Austin musicians, and was an early supporter and fan of the show. Seats were always reserved for Coach Royal and his wife Edith. She accepted the induction on his behalf.

The ceremony featured performances by the inductees as well as Doyle Bramhall II, Mike Farris, Buddy Guy, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Lukas Nelson, Robert Randolph and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

The Hall of Fame induction is part of KLRU’s recognition of Austin City Limit’s 40th Anniversary Season. Portions of the induction ceremony will air in a primetime PBS special in the fall.

KLRU News Briefs air every Saturday and Sunday during PBS NewsHour Weekend.

Vamos Al BaileSunday, May 4th at 3pm
A stellar lineup of Mexican-American musicians take the stage in front of a live audience. Enjoy performances by award winning artists Little Joe y La Familia, Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution, and Joel Guzman with Sarah Fox plus special guests. Interspersed with interviews, Vamos al Baile (Let’s go to the Dance) captures the different styles of Mexican-American music and the family atmosphere of the dance halls in which they are performed.

Nature “Leave It To Beavers”Wednesday, May 14th at 7pm
A growing number of scientists, conservationists and grass-roots environmentalists have come to regard beavers as overlooked tools when it comes to reversing the disastrous effects of global warming and world-wide water shortages. Once valued for their fur or hunted as pests, these industrious rodents are seen in a new light through the eyes of this novel assembly of beaver enthusiasts and “employers” who reveal the ways in which the presence of beavers can transform and revive landscapes. Using their skills as natural builders and brilliant hydro-engineers, beavers are being recruited to accomplish everything from finding water in a bone-dry desert to recharging water tables and coaxing life back into damaged lands.

National Memorial Day ConcertSunday, May 25th at 7pm
Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise co-host the 25th anniversary broadcast of the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, a night of remembrance honoring the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country. They are joined by an all-star line-up in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. Featuring a unique blend of uplifting musical performances and dramatic readings, the program airs from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. Mantegna and Sinise, two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veterans’ causes and supporting the troops in active service, are co-hosting for the ninth consecutive year.

NatureShark Mountain at 7 pm
Underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall have spent 25 years diving and documenting the most remote and beautiful underwater locations, always learning something new about the fantastic creatures that live there. Yet even these remote places and creatures are at risk in today’s world, and being able to share their experiences with the rest of us is increasingly important to the Halls, and to us. They take us along on the dive of a lifetime, to a tiny outpost 300 miles off the coast of Central American – Shark Mountain.

NOVAWhy Sharks Attack at 8 pm
In recent years, an unusual spate of deadly shark attacks has gripped Australia, resulting in five deaths in 10 months. At the same time, great white sharks have begun appearing in growing numbers off the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, not far from the waters where Steven Spielberg filmed the ultimate shark fright film, Jaws. What’s behind the mysterious arrival of this apex predator in an area where they’ve rarely been seen for hundreds of years? Are deadly encounters with tourists inevitable? To separate fact from fear, NOVA teams up with leading shark experts in Australia and the United States to discover the science behind the great white’s hunting instincts. Do sharks ever target humans or is each attack a tragic case of mistaken identity? Can a deeper understanding of shark senses lead scientists to design effective deterrents and help prevent future attacks? With shark populations around the world plummeting, scientists race to unlock the secrets of these powerful creatures of the deep in their quest to save people — and sharks.

Nazi Mega WeaponsJet Fighter Me262 at 9 pm
Explore the most technologically advanced plane of World War II, the Messerschmitt Me262, a fighter jet that inspired a revolution in aerial warfare. Learn the remarkable story of an awe-inspiring aircraft, the subterranean bat-cave where it was built and the battle for air supremacy that decided the fate of the war.

NatureLove In The Animal Kingdom at 7 pm
Animals dance, sing, flirt and compete with everything they’ve got to find and secure a mate. For many, the all-important bonds they share as a couple are what enable the next generation to survive. But can we call these bonds love? In this look at the love life of animals, we see the feminine wiles of a young gorilla, the search for Mr. Right among a thousand flamingos, the open “marriages” of blue-footed boobies, the soap opera arrangements of gibbons, and all the subtle, outrageous, romantic antics that go into finding a partner. These are love stories all right, as various and intriguing as the lovers themselves.

NOVAThe Incredible Journey Of The Butterflies at 8 pm
Every year, 100 million monarch butterflies set off on an incredible journey across North America. These beautiful creatures fly 2,000 miles to reach their remote destination: a tiny area high in the mountains of Mexico. Yet scientists are still puzzling over how the butterflies achieve this tremendous feat of endurance – and how, year after year, the monarchs navigate with such hair’s-breadth precision. NOVA flies along with the monarchs, visiting the spectacular locations they call home and meeting the dangers they encounter along the way. As this program reveals, the monarch is a scientific marvel locked in an inspiring struggle for survival.

Nazi Mega WeaponsSuper Tanks at 9 pm
In the quest for world domination, the Nazis built some of the biggest and deadliest pieces of military hardware and malevolent technology in history. With brilliant, dark minds and a legion of slave labor at their disposal, the Nazis believed the path to ultimate victory was to out-build and out-engineer their enemies. To them, bigger definitely meant better, and better meant more lethal. As Hitler’s grip on Europe tightened, he ordered men like Wernher von Braun, Ferdinand Porsche and Alfried Krupp to build increasingly outlandish machines and structures to realize his master plan. Creating huge terror machines, hi-tech superguns and some of the original weapons of mass destruction to control a nation, conquer a continent and win the war. This is World War II told from a new perspective. The series uncovers the engineering secrets of six iconic mega-structures, tells the stories of the evil geniuses that designed them and reveals how these structures sparked a technological revolution that changed warfare forever.

This week during PBS NewsHour Weekend we preview part of Civic Summit: East Austin Revealed. On Saturday, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and former State Representative Wilhelmina Delco discuss why many African Americans are leaving East Austin, an area where they were once required to live by law. Today, many African Americans are moving to Austin’s suburbs.

Delco, who has lived in East Austin for more than 50 years, says the city can do more to highlight the region’s rich history.

“We as a city ought to be more conscious of the preservation and the need for saving what was good and important to our people,” Delco said. “We don’t have nearly enough historical markers to mark all of the things that made black East Austin a unique community that thrived in spite of all the obstacles that were put in our way.”

On Sunday, our story delves into rising property values and tax rates in East Austin. Again, we’ll hear from Delco, Mayor Leffingwell and current State Representative Dawnna Dukes.

The entire Civic Summit: East Austin Revealed airs Thursday, April 24 at 8:30pm, immediately following a documentary about East Austin’s Civil Rights history.

Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo.

DATE: April 16TIME: 7pm (Doors open at 6:30pm.)LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map). RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

Husband/wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley formed the band Yo La Tengo in 1984 in Hoboken, New Jersey. James McNew joined the band in 1992. Yo La Tengo has been called “the quintessential critics band,” known for creativity, independence and an eclectic approach to indie rock. Rolling Stone calls them “one of the most restless and most consistently good bands of the past 25 years.” The group has recorded 13 albums. Their most recent is Fade, released in 2013. They are in town for “The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller.” Yo La Tengo will provide live music accompaniment to Sam Green’s latest “live documentary” on April 17 at the Stateside at the Paramount.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith continues a fourth season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS viewers from California to Florida. We’d love to see you in the studio for the interview, and for a chance to join the audience Q&A after the interview.

This weekend during PBS NewsHour Weekend our local news stories look back in history, and look forward at what some call the “currency of the future.”

On Saturday it’s one of Austin’s newest gadgets: a Bitcoin ATM. The machine, designed by a company called Robocoin, was the first of its kind in the U.S. It’s located at HandleBar downtown.

The machine allows people to walk up and either enroll in Bitcoin on the spot or buy and sell from a pre-existing account. You can also withdraw cash.

“The one in Canada, it’s brought a lot of business. Ideally we get some foot traffic, get some booze sold and merchandise and stuff like that,” HandleBar Co-Owner Willie Stark told us.

But, Bitcoin has had some setbacks recently. We asked LBJ School economics professor Dr. Yanis Varoufakis about the risks involved.

“There is no telephone number you can dial if suddenly your Bitcoins have disappeared. All you need is a clever hacker who hacks into your wallet and suddenly your fortune in bitcoins has disappeared,” Varoufakis said.

On Sunday, we preview the LBJ Presidential Library’s Civil Rights Summit, which runs from April 8-10. Three of the four former living presidents will be on the University of Texas campus for the event, as will President Obama. The summit marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act.

“We thought what better way to [mark the anniversary] than with a summit that really celebrates the advances that were made in ’64 but also looks hard at some of the open issues in 2014,” LBJ Foundation President Elizabeth Christian told us.

Panel discussions will be held each afternoon with activists and civil rights leaders before the evening keynotes with Presidents Carter, Clinton and George W. Bush. President Obama will speak Thursday morning at 11:30.

Normally, KLRU chooses three programs each month for your family to enjoy together. In December 2013, we will have incredible family viewing opportunities for the holidays — be sure to check in for holiday programming without the holiday commercials!

The best of Austin musicians perform in celebration of the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. The show features Christopher Cross, Jimmie Vaughan and Lou Ann Barton, Eric Johnson, Charlie and Will Sexton, Marcia Ball, Van Wilks and Malford Milligan, Carolyn Wonderland and Guy Forsyth, Monte Montgomery, Shake Russell, Quiet Company, Suzanna Choffel and the All ATX band.

This concert was held on HAAM Benefit Day on September 24, 2013 at ACL Live. KLRU taped the live concert to be made available to other PBS stations nationally. The show will be available online on 11/29.

Additional air dates in Austin include:

KLRU
11/28 at 8 pm
11/30 at 2 am
12/17 at 10 pm
12/25 at 10 pm

KLRU Q
1/1/14 at 8 pm
1/6/14 at 11 pm

ALL ATX is an annual concert that celebrates and supports Austin music presented by HAAM. HAAM provides access to affordable health care to Austin’s low-income, uninsured working musicians with a focus on prevention and wellness.

We’re kicking off our December pledge drive this Friday and need to raise $220,000 in the next two weeks to keep public television strong in Central Texas. Make a gift today and see a show (or two) when you do!